


Of Angel Eyes and Saving Graces

by DamDemigodWizard



Category: Heroes of Olympus - Fandom, percy jackson - Fandom
Genre: College, College AU, M/M, Modern AU, Multi, Not really sure, and SMUT, and possible plot, hella gay, just fluff, lots of gayness, maybe some leyna, no caleo, no demigod-ish stuff, ugh my otp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-16
Updated: 2015-05-21
Packaged: 2018-02-04 23:29:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1797277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DamDemigodWizard/pseuds/DamDemigodWizard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>*College Au* Jason thought college would be... well, great, if being honest. He did not expect his whole life to change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Starting Fresh

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So, as a major Jasico shipper and lover of College AU's.. I thought I may as well contribute to the growing fandom of my OTP. So, enjoy! (also, first fic on here, and my first Jasico fic!).

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I take in a deep breath for courage. 

Standing, staring at the college before me, I feel like a kid again. Is this how I felt on my first day of school? It's so long ago, I can't remember. I was always a brave child, though. Unfortunately, that braveness led me to eating a stapler, which didn't end very well for me.

My shoulder aches from the shoulder strap football bag I'm carrying, and from the suitcase I carry in my right hand. I clutch my suitcase tightly until my knuckles bare white. 

Thalia said college is great, and that I'll love it. She's always been braver than me, though. She took care of me while my mother was off drinking, or getting high as a kite. She always held me at night when I was scared. I wish she was here with me right now. I know it's not her fault; she's living in... well, I'm not sure, really. She travels a lot with her friends, so I never see my sister much. 

I decide to suck it up. Thalia's usually right- I'm sure she's right now. College will be great. I'll get to make new friends, party, and have fun. Oh, and major in law, of course. 

I decide to be brave now, and walk on my own into HBC. Half Blood College is one of the top colleges in all of America. It's reasonable that I feel beyond nervous at this point. It's a big college, with brick red walls, and high arching windows, highlighted in white. The grass areas are coated in brown and orange leaves, and the trees themselves are nearly bare. Students lie on the grass, enjoying the autumn sun. They push past me in crowds, not noticing me. 

Why would they? I'm the newbie- I reckon these lot went here last year. They look so relaxed, while I probably look like an axe-murdering psychopath. 

I see others, who look as nervous as I probably do.

I push past the glass doors, and enter into the main hall of student accommodation. I'll admit, this is what I'm most nervous about. Who am I going to be sharing a dorm with? I hope he's cool, and easy to talk to. I'm nervous enough. It'd be great to have at least _one_ friend while here.

Hesitantly, I walk up to reception.

"Hello!" Says a girl, with platinum blonde hair, and wolf-like eyes. She looks to be around her late twenties, and although I consider myself tall, she's taller than me. She's intimidating, I realise. From the way she stares at me, I feel nothing but anxiousness. Although, she sounds peppy enough, which is a bonus. "Welcome to HBC! I'm Lupa, but you can call me Lu. Newbie, right?"

I nod my head and she smiles. I bet she knows I'm nervous as hell. "Okay, just give me your name and I can give you your dorm number." She nods to my suitcase. "I'm sure you're dying to get that all sorted." 

I rub the back of my neck. "I guess so," I reply, my voice low and quiet. What happened to the brave me? I feel slightly embarrassed at how scared I am. "I'm Jason Grace."

"Alright, Mr. Grace," she says, typing my name into the computer in front of her. "Room 201, second floor."

"Thanks," I say politely. She hands me a key, and I take it.

So, this is it. I'm beginning college life. Am I supposed to feel different? Thalia said that in college you change. You discover yourself more, apparently. I wonder how long I'll take to discover who I am really. I always thought I'd be a stupid dork for my whole life. Then, in highschool things changed. I dated girls, and I became a jock. I thought I knew myself pretty well back then. Now I know for sure that that was only the beginning of discovering who I am. 

I go to the elevator, feeling exhausted, and press the button. I wait... and wait... and nothing. I frown, and press the button again. 

"Hey, blondie," someone says. "Elevator doesn't work." 

I turn and see a guy who looks almost like an elf. He has high arched eyebrows, pointed ears and a mop of brown curly hair on his head. He grins at me, and I immediately feel as though he's up to something. Why should I be nervous around this guy? He barely reaches my shoulder. 

"Need a hand?" he asks, as I thank him and turn away to the elevator. He catches up with me and takes my suitcase out of my hand. "I'm Leo Valdez," he tells me. "Just came here the other day. Gotta say, the girls are totally worth it. Anyway, what dorm you in, blondie?"

"Jason," I reply. "I'm 201."

"Ah, 206 here. I'm sharing with a dude from Canada. He's... well, he's okay, I guess." Leo shrugs his shoulders.

My shoulder still aches as I walk up the stairs. Students come down from their rooms, shoving past us. Some greet Leo as they pass. He high fives a girl, and I quirk a brow up. She's small, with choppy brown hair, and bright blue eyes. She smiles at me, and then continues down the stairs. I stare down after her, finally agreeing with Leo- the girls are definitely worth being here. 

Leo notices me staring and I blush. He grins. "That's Piper McLean," he says. 

"She's cute," I say, my face feeling hot. 

"Cute?" Leo snorts. "Let's be real here; she's hot."

I don't disagree.

The second floor is mostly empty, bar one or two students. The long hallway is carpeted in red, and has white, worn down painted walls. Room 201 is at the very bottom of the hall, much to my dismay. I'm just so tired, I could have slept on the hall floor. 

As I stand outside my dorm, I wonder if my roommate is in there already. What'll he be like, I wonder? My hands shake as I open the door.

"Sick view," Leo says, dropping my suitcase on the ground, and staring out the window. "My dorm only has one window, and it faces the college. Oh, man. I so cannot wait to go into the lake." Curious, I drop my bag and I join him and stare out the window. It is a pretty cool view. The sun lays low in the sky, reflecting off the lakes surface. The whole world looks like a golden wonderland.

I'm so captivated by the view, I don't hear when my roommate comes up behind Leo and I.

He gives an awkward cough, and in fright, Leo and I wheel around. 

I keep a poker face when I see him. He's not what I expected. He has messy black hair, and dark eyes. He looks tired- but I guess I probably don't look much different. His skin is pale, and he has a thin frame. He doesn't even come up to my shoulders.

"Oh, you must be my roommate," I say, smiling at him. "I'm Jason Grace." I hold out my hand, which he ignores.

Awkwardly, I rest it at my side and my smile fades. "Nico di Angelo," he tells me. 

"Have fun," Leo mumbles in my ear, patting me apologetically on the back. "Well, I better go. See you around, Blondie." He gives a forced nod at Nico, which he also ignores. 

When he leaves, Nico and I stand in an awkward silence, which is unnerving.

"I have the right room," he finally says. With that, he turns and leaves me alone in the kitchen. 

I frown. This is going to be an interesting year.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	2. Not a good start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Glad to get some response! Didn't think I'd get any... So, I just want to say; for the first few chapters it'll probably be slow moving, so sorry in advance.  
> So, enjoy! please let me know what you think! :)

So, maybe I don't have the roommate I was hoping for. That doesn't mean this whole year is going to be awful.

Nico stays in the bedroom for most of the night. I take that time to organize my own stuff, and hang up my clothes in the wardrobe. There's nothing exceptional about my room- everything seems dull and dreary. It's not until around ten, when I've everything done, that he actually emerges from the room. He looks more tired than earlier, which I didn't think was possible. Nico doesn't give me much attention. He rummages around the presses, which look pretty empty from where I'm sitting. The couch I'm sitting on isn't exactly the comfiest (I'm sure a rock would be more welcoming for my aching muscles), but it's better than nothing, I suppose.

Nico lets out a sigh of frustration when he finishes looking through the presses.

I drum my fingers on my knee- I'm pretty hungry myself, I realise. "Want to get a pizza?" I suggest.

This gains Nico's attention. He arches an eyebrow up at me, mulling it over. His eyes show no emotion in them. I wonder what's this guys deal. Did something happen to him? Or is he someone who's antisocial and keeps to themselves? Maybe I'm not his type of person to talk to. We look like complete opposites. He wears all dark clothes, and a leather jacket which is too large for his thin frame; I wear jeans, and a deep purple hoodie.

He shrugs his shoulders. "Yeah, I guess I'll have a pizza." Ordering pizza takes longer than we expect. For a college which is one of the best in America, the reception out here is pretty crappy. I frown at my phone- how am I supposed to text/call Thalia when we can barely get any coverage? I let out a sigh when the only place I get coverage is standing on the wooden chair in the kitchen. I'm surprised the chair can even hold my weight it looks so old and worn out. It creaks under my feet as I order a large pepperoni pizza.

When I hop off the chair, Nico has his arms folded with an amused smirk on his face.

"What?" His grin fades, and he unfolds his arms, scowling at me. "Nothing," he grumbles. I wonder is he going to be like this all the time. I mean, we are roommates. Surely he'll stop being some moody kid eventually- I hope. At least I've made some sort of friend... I think. Leo doesn't seem that bad, really. He talks a lot, though. Not that that's a bad thing, of course, but he seems like someone who'll be hyped up all the time. I shake my head; I'm really judging on first impressions?

I have a tendency to do that. For all I know, Nico could be really cool, and I might even end up hating Leo! Not that I want to. The pizza takes twenty minutes to arrive- and I'm definitely happy they bring it to our door. I wasn't sure if we'd be allowed to order food on campus. I mean, I know absolutely nothing! I'm just so new to all of this- it's kind of overwhelming, actually. I try not to think about it as I drop the pizza box onto the table.

"Bon appétit," I say with a grin as I open the box. The smell hits me hard, and my stomach growls.

"Did you seriously say _bon appétit_ just there?" Nico asks, grabbing a slice of pizza. I grab one too, my hunger becoming unbearable. I'm never leaving dinner so late, ever again! I nod my head, my cheeks going pink. God, no wonder Nico isn't interested in talking to me. I'm coming off as the biggest loser in all of the world. I cringe internally as I bite into the pizza. _Oh, man. It tastes so good!_ Nico shakes his head, a faint smile creeping up on his face.

"So," I say awkwardly, "were you here long before I arrived?"

He shakes his head again. "I came here yesterday," he tells me, frowning as the cheese pulls off his pizza. He gasps out in pain as it meets the bottom of his lip. "Shit. Hot," he says embarrassed. I try not to smile, but fail. This causes him to glare at me, but not for long. "You make friends quick," he notes, forgetting the pain. I cock my head to the side, not sure what he means. "Leo," he adds on.

"Oh, yeah," I reply. "We're not really friends. He helped me carry up my stuff."

"I noticed."

There's an awkward silence that's filled with the sound of our chewing. I'm not really sure how to talk to this guy- he looks angry. I gaze out the window, but there's not much to see. Even the stars aren't seen, much to my dismay. I fidget on the spot. How will I get used to all of this? It's so different to everything I'm used to.

My house wasn't much, if I'm being truthful. It only had one bedroom, which my mother used to take... before she, well, before she died. Thalia and I usually slept on the couch. However, after our mother died, we took a run for it. Thalia didn't want us to end up in an orphanage. I was young at the time and followed her like a lost puppy. Sometimes I wish I hadn't. But then I see her, and it makes me forget my regrets. Thalia does so much for me, and I'll never be able to thank her enough.

I'm so lost in thought, that the silence doesn't bother me. Nico seems to be in his own mind too, by the looks of it.

"Leo's friend is cute," I blurt out, trying to cut the silence. Nico looks at me, folding his arms and leaning away further from me. "Which one?"

"Piper."

He just shrugs his shoulders, not feigning any interest. "Not my type," he replies.

I quirk a brow up. "You have a type?" I'll admit: I'm more than a little curious. I've only known Nico for... an hour, if being truthful. We haven't got off to the best start (well, what can you do when the guy clearly doesn't want to know you?), but he seems a little talkative, which is a relief. And here I was thinking I'd be stuck in eerie silence whenever I was here. Even if it's forced conversation, it's better than sitting around in silence.

Nico's cheeks go pink, which is the only colour really on his skin. He stands up and tosses the end of his pizza slice into the bin. I gaze at him, and I notice the way he avoids my eyes. "See you in the morning." He leaves me alone in the kitchen once more.

After three more slices of pizza, I put the rest in the fridge, and decide to go to sleep myself.

Only two days until classes start.

* * *

"That's where all the food places are," Leo says, pointing down to a heavily crowded area. Students all sit around on benches, enjoying their lunches. I got out of the dorm as quickly as I could. I didn't want to be stuck inside with someone who clearly doesn't want to be my friend. I'm not great at the whole vibe-thing, but Nico has pretty much made it clear that he wasn't interested in becoming my friend.

On my escape, I found Leo hanging with his friend, Piper. 

Since then, the two have been showing me around the place. Lu handed me a map of the campus, which throws off a little stress from my shoulders. At least I won't be freaking out when it comes to finding my classes. 

"But if a crowd isn't your thing, there's a place down that way that sells sandwiches and stuff," Piper tells me, pointing in the opposite way from where we're looking.

There's a cobbled pathway leading up a small hill, where a few shops are situated. The sun glares into my eyes, and I squint, trying to see the sandwich shop Piper is talking about. On a sign above one of the shops, in large green letters, I see the words 'Sue's Sandwiches'. It looks small from down here, with whitewashed painted walls. I'm drawn to this little place, isolated from the growing crowds.

It's not that I _hate_ crowds, but on sunny days and days I'm exhausted, I like the quietness. It's more welcoming than pushing through a never-ending crowd. Plus, it's on a hill, so I'd like to get a view of the general area around here.

The three of us head to Sue's Sandwiches. The door rings as I open it, so the few people sitting around the shop gaze up. In a split second they've lost all interest in us. We find a seat in the corner of the shop where the sun shines down on top of us through the large glass window. I watch as people pass by, barely giving Sue's a second glance. At least I know where to go when I want to be alone, I decide.

"You guys hungry?" Leo asks, standing up from the table.

Piper and I shake our heads. "I'm good," I tell him. "I had cold pizza this morning."

Leo walks away from us and up to the counter. "Where are you from, Jason?" Piper asks, leaning on the palm of her hand. Her eyelashes catch the suns light, and I'm momentarily startled by how beautiful she is. I blink, realizing that I'm staring at her. Plus, I think she might be dating Leo. I never bothered asking, as I was too surprised by my roommate. If he is dating her, though, he is one lucky guy.

I scratch the back of my head, thinking of my mom, and Thalia, my father that abandoned us, and our run down house, and our escape. Where haven't I lived, to be honest? I bite the inside of my cheek, trying to think of a place that I liked the most. Memories flash through my mind- Thalia and I eating ice-cream in Fremont; looking up at the stars in San Jose; yet, one thing kept flashing through my mind: the days spent living around San Francisco.

I remember one morning, the Golden Gate Bridge rising out of the fog. I remember sitting with Thalia, huddled together for warmth, just staring out at the bridge, and its magnificence. I kept thinking _how_ did someone do something so amazing as that? I think I was eleven at the time. Thalia had just turned eighteen, and instead of being with her friends, she decided she wanted to spend her day with me.

"San Francisco," I reply, knowing deep down it was my favourite place to stay.

"Really?" I nod my head. Her eyes are wide in surprise, sparkling with interest, which in turn, surprises me. "That's a long way to travel. What made you want to come all this way to New York?"

My gaze lowers to my hands, which are folded on the table. "Just to have a fresh start," I say. The bell rings, and I look up to the door. I arch an eyebrow when Nico walks in, his headphones in, ignoring everyone around him. My eyes trail him until he stops in line to order. Leo turns around with a tray with his sandwich, and a drink in his hands, and his eyes widen when he sees Nico. He raises an eyebrow, and then walks quickly over to Piper and I.

"Dude, your scary roommate is right over there." I sigh and roll my eyes. As if I hadn't already noticed Nico. He's hard to miss, to be honest.

Last night he didn't seem so bad, only awkward. Maybe it's just me. I've only met the guy and I'm deeming him as someone who's nearly impossible to talk to. I guess I should make an effort myself, and try to become friends with him. After all, he is now my roommate. Plus, his MCR t-shirt that he's wearing has gained my interest. I'll admit: some of Thalia's interests rubbed off on me. She always loved punk stuff- punk clothes, punk music, etc. I guess I'm also her complete opposite too, and we got along great.

" _Oh no_ you don't," Leo says, noticing my gaze on Nico. My eyes dart to him, confused. "I know  _exactly_ what you're thinking."

"How can you possibly know what I'm thinking?" I retaliate.

Leo bites into his sandwich. "Youswantaskbimtoboinus," he spits out, food flying out of his mouth. I lean back, slightly disgusted.

Piper scowls at him, wiping bread-spit off of her cheek. "Sometimes I wonder why I'm friends with you," she mutters. 

I stare back at Nico, who's now drumming his finger against his leg, probably to the music he has playing. Does he have any friends yet? It wouldn't be the worst thing to be friends, right? 

Leo finally swallows the food from his mouth. "Look, man, I'm just saying, he seems..." he trails off, not entirely sure how to phrase it without sounding like a complete douche. He looks slightly guilty, and I feel ten times as guilty because part of me agrees with what Leo is trying to say. "He's not our kind of guy, I guess." 

I watch as Nico orders his food, which is then handed to him in a takeaway bag. His eyes trail to where I'm sitting, and he looks shocked for a split second to see me. I raise my hand and give him a small wave. The corner of his mouth twitches as though he's going to smile at me, but then decides against it. Instead, he nods his head in my direction, before walking out of the shop. 

I'm suddenly determined to become Nico's friend. I mean, for years, when I was the loser kid, nobody wanted to be friends with me. It sucked, beyond belief. So, maybe I can make the effort and become his friend. 

I just never realized how hard that's going to be.

* * *

Days go by, and before I know it, college has begun. The first few days are just to introduce us to class. Spending time in my dorm is exhausting. Nico will barely look at me, even when I try to make a conversation with him. Becoming his friend is proving to be impossible. I even have a history class with him- which he decided to sit as far away from me as possible in. Now, however, I'm sitting beside a girl named Annabeth Chase in that class.

Most nights so far, Nico and I sit in silence. 

I went to the effort of buying us food for our dorm (which still isn't a lot, considering I don't have that much money). I definitely think chicken nuggets is Nico's favourite food. When I pulled out the box to put into the freezer, his eyes lit up like a kids on Christmas morning. Later that night, we ate them together. After that, he went into his room and didn't come out again.

I'm still determined to become his friend, though. 

On my way home from Criminal Law 1 on Thursday evening, I decide to pick up more chicken nuggets from the shop. At least it'll get Nico out of his room for awhile. Plus, I wouldn't exactly mind the company. 

My phone beeps.

I glance down and see a message from Thalia. She says she'll call later, which lifts my spirits a bit. It's been impossible to send her messages with the terrible reception in the dorm. 

The campus is quiet as I head back to the dorm. Lu is sitting behind her desk and I greet her, feeling happier than I have since I came here nearly a week ago. Is that right? I can hardly believe that I've been here for nearly a week already. Bar Thalia, there isn't much to miss about my old life. I shake my head- I want to remain happy. 

I trudge up the stairs, praying that someday they'll get the elevator fixed. Not that the walk is much, but after a long day of classes, I just want nothing more than to rest my feet for the evening.

I open the door, to find Nico sitting on the couch, watching TV. His eyes look up when he sees me, then trail down to the chicken nugget box in my hand. 

He grins, which automatically makes me smile. "I got us chicken nuggets, too, on the way back from Economics." 

Economics? I realise I've never asked Nico what he's doing here. Well, I never really had the opportunity to. Now that I have his interest, I decide I'm going to talk to him. I'm praying it'll work. I don't even know why I want to be his friend so bad- besides the fact that I have to share a dorm with him, of course. There's something I find interesting about Nico, which just draws me to being his friend.

I smile, and begin to pour the chicken nuggets out onto a tray. At least now we'll have some for tomorrow, or something. I place the tray into the oven, and turn it on. When I turn around, Nico is watching me carefully, as though waiting for me to do something. I rub the back of my neck, not really knowing what to do.

"So, what course are you doing here?" I ask lightly, hoping to keep his interest.

"Joint Honours," he tells me, turning off the tv. 

I frown as he stands up. However, he doesn't march off to his room like he's done every other night. This time, he stretches and joins me in the kitchen. He leans against the counter top, crossing his hands across his chest. I notice how frail he looks from here. His arms are unnaturally thin, which makes me worry instantly. I hide my worry quickly, by looking back to his face.

"What are you doing here?" he asks me.

"Bachelor of Law." 

"I guess that would explain why we have history together," he says. 

My mind flashes to a few days ago when I saw him in his MCR shirt. For days I've been trying to tell him I like them too, and now I have the chance. "I like MCR, too, by the way," I tell him.

" _You_ like My Chemical Romance?" he exclaims in disbelief. I frown, startled by his outburst. He looks a little surprised too. "Sorry," he continues. "I just didn't think you'd be someone who likes them."

"Why don't I look like someone who likes MCR?" I tease him.

His face grows red, and he tries desperately to come up with something without sounding like a complete idiot. "Well, you're..  _you_. I mean, you wear... that. And you just seem like someone who'd like... you know, more, pop, or indie. Um, no offence." He looks flustered after finishing his sentence, and I burst out laughing. His shoulders slump, and he narrows his eyes at me. Then, he begins to laugh a little, too.

When he laughs, I feel my chest lighten slightly, as though a brick has been pushed slightly off of it, easing some of the ache. 

"Sorry," he says again. "I think it's cool that you're into MCR. What's your favourite song?"

" _Black Parade_ , definitely," I reply without missing a beat. 

"Cool. That's an amazing song. Mine's _I'm Not Okay_ ," he tells me. 

"I love that song!" I say excitedly.

We stare at each other, both in disbelief that we've found something to bond over.  _About time,_  I think to myself. One week was exhausting enough. I can't imagine going another week with him ignoring me. It's frustrating. I know I have Leo and Piper as company, but that's only when I'm out. Nico has a soft smile on his face, which makes him look more alive. It also makes me happy to see a smile on his face, rather than the scowl he's been wearing around.

For the next few hours, we sit together in the kitchen, talking about MCR and other bands. 

After awhile, Nico's frown begins to return, and once again, he becomes distant. 

My eyebrows furrow together as he walks into his room, closing the door behind him. At least I'm getting somewhere with him, right?

My phone buzzes, and I quickly answer it, afraid of losing service.

"Hey, Jason," Thalia says through the line. "How have you been?"

I sigh, throwing my head back, feeling frustrated. Nico is one difficult roommate.

"Good," I lie.

 


	3. Date?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, hey! It's been awhile! Uni got in the way of writing tbh. I do so much writing for uni that i barely had the motivation to write for fun, ya know? Worry not, I'm back, and I'm gonna continue writing this kickass fic... it's totally kickass shush. Anyway, feedback would be appreciated! Help a girl out pls

I know I shouldn't sit at the back of the lecture hall, but it's only nine in the morning, and honestly, I  _hate_ Introduction to Lawyering 1. Each Tuesday morning I have to remind myself that it's only one hour a week I have to sit through for this class- still, it's agony! 

I expected so much more out of this whole thing- moving away, going to college, doing what I love. Yet, I miss Thalia, I want to drop out like every five seconds, and doing what I love as a living has caused me to  hate it. I'm going to go to every single high school and put up signs saying: DON'T DO WHAT YOU LOVE IN COLLEGE. IT'S A TRICK. This is all I could think of all morning as the lecturers voice echoed around the room. That is, until I was interrupted by the girl sitting alongside me. 

"You know," she whispers, staring straight ahead as she did so, "you really should pay attention." Her brown eyes flicker to look at me, but her head is facing in the direction of the lecturer. I've seen her multiple times in my classes, so I presume she's doing the same course as I am. Her dark hair is tied in a neat plait down her back, and she sits straight, as though ready to do anything asked of her. 

I cross my arms on the desk in front of me, and rest my chin on them. I haven't been paying attention in this class at all. I probably missed some really important stuff, but my mind is still groggy from getting up in a rush. I let out a sigh. The girl is right; I  _should_ pay attention. I glance up to the lecture notes projected onto the white wall behind our lecturer- for a moment, the words are a blur, hard to read, and my eyes take a few moments to adjust to what they're saying. My eyebrows crease in frustration- this is also why I shouldn't sit at the back. I curse myself for leaving my glasses back at the dorm in my rush to get to class. 

I shake my head. It's useless. I can't read the words correctly, so I lean back in my seat, pretending to focus on the lecturer. I glance at the girl beside me- she's noticeably pretty, with her perfect skin, that seems to glow slightly. Her eyes remind me of the earth, rich and beautiful. Yet, she also looks powerful, as though she should be leading an army, not sitting in a lecture hall next to me. I wonder why I've barely noticed her before- well, probably because I was so focused on Piper, and trying to be friends with Nico. 

"Hey," I whisper. Her head turns this time to focus on me. Her eyes are softer than I imagined they'd be, but there's a darkness in them too. I'm so startled by them that I nearly forget that she's waiting for me to continue. "Can I borrow your notes after class?" She frowns at me- she probably thinks I'm some sort of dosser. "I forgot my glasses," I add on.

"Yeah, sure," she replies with a soft smile.

The class goes slowly, but finally the lecturer allows us to leave. I stretch my legs under the chair in front of me, longing for a cup of coffee.

"I'm Jason, by the way," I say to the girl, stretching my hand out for her to shake.

She takes it in  hers and smiles at me, her eyes shining brightly. "Reyna," she tells me. "You're lucky I pay attention in class," she continues lightly. "Professor Dashwood had a lot of material up for our first assignment."

My eyes widen in surprise. "She had stuff up this early about our assignment?" I ask in surprise. Reyna nods her head, looking amused by my shock. "I'm so screwed for this class. I hate it- it's so boring."

"I can tell you hate it." She hands out her notes copy to me. "You can give it back to me whenever you're finished."

I take the copy gratefully, but I feel somewhat bad. I mean, I don't exactly know Reyna that well, and I feel like I'm just using her. Of course, I'd probably do the same for her, but still... I'd like to repay her for helping me out, especially because I was just being lazy in class. I could have listened to the lecturer, but I didn't. She picks up her bag and goes to walk past me.

"Do you have any classes now?" I ask before she can walk away.

"No, I don't have anything until Spanish at twelve," Reyna tells me.

I smile at her. "Well, do you want to go to Sue's Sandwiches, or something? I'd like to buy you a coffee or something, as a thank you for helping me out."

Reyna's eyes widen in shock, and her cheeks darken in colour. She straightens up, trying to get over her look of shock. I try not to think about how intimidating she looks when she straightens herself up. She looks suddenly like she could kill me with just the flick of her wrist. When she realizes I'm not joking about the coffee, her face softens. "A coffee sounds good," she decides.

* * *

"Spanish, huh?" I say as I hand Reyna her coffee. "Is it hard?" 

We sit in the same place as Piper, Leo, and I had when I first came here. I remember the awkwardness I had felt when Nico had walked in, and how he barely acknowledged me. I still yearn to change that, though. I'm still not entirely sure why. Nico keeps to himself, mostly. I've never seen him with another person, and he never brings anyone back to the dorm. Maybe he prefers it that way, but I doubt anyone likes being alone all the time. I know from experience how lonely it can get keeping to yourself.

Reyna squints at me, as though she's considering if I'm joking or not. When she sees I'm not, she laughs. I raise an eyebrow in confusion- did I miss something? 

When she finally stops laughing, she tells me what's so funny. "Jason, I'm from Puerto Rico. I'm fluent in Spanish."

I stare dumbly at her. Sometimes, I'm a complete idiot. I never considered her slight accent, or how she sometimes rolled her r's. I feel dumber the more I think about it. "Oh," I say. "Is that not... cheating?" 

She shrugs her shoulders. "English people take English classes- I don't see why I can't take Spanish." 

I'm about to say something else, but my thoughts are wiped clean from my mind when Piper walks in the door, closely followed by a girl I recognize- Annabeth Chase, the girl I sit beside in History. The both of them are followed in by Leo, and another guy I don't recognize. He's tall, maybe as tall as me, with black messy hair, and sea-green eyes. He carries a skateboard under his arm. Of course. This guy screams  _Skater Dude_. 

Piper notices me, and she grins immediately. She grabs Annabeth by the arm and drags her over to where Reyna and I are sitting. I notice Piper glance at Reyna a little suspiciously, but quickly that expression changes. 

"Hey, Jason!" she says. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Hey, Piper," I reply. Part of me wishes I had gotten a larger table so that I could ask them all to join us- bar two extra seats, there's no other room to sit here. I feel strangely disappointed. I hadn't really thought that Piper and Leo would come here, and I certainly didn't think they'd bring two other people. I look to Reyna, who I notice has straightened herself up. I imagine her sitting on a throne, weirdly enough, but the image is fitting for how she composes herself. "Piper, this is Reyna. She's in the same course as me," I explain to her. 

Piper flashes a smile at Reyna, which Reyna returns. "Nice to meet you Reyna," Piper says. "This is Annabeth, long time friend, long time nerd." Annabeth nudges her, and shakes Reyna's hand. We had already met, I guess, so we just smile to one another. "This dork here is Leo 'Bad-boy-Supreme' Valdez. Somehow I had the unfortunate luck of being best friends with him." 

"Hey, hey," Leo chimes in. "You know you love me, Pipe's." 

"And finally, dork number two here, is Percy Jackson, the idiot who was supposed to ask Hazel and Frank to join us but forgot." 

"Why didn't Leo ask Frank? He's roommates with him!" Percy argues. "And sorry I had classes and was slightly busy! Plus, Hazel has a class right now, but I text her this morning and she said she'll be here at eleven. Frank isn't free until one." 

I feel suddenly like an outcast with this group. They all seem to know each other so well- I'm guessing they were friends before college. I wonder if Reyna feels the same way. I shake my head. Of course she feels the same way. She barely knows me, for crying out loud. I sip on my coffee as Piper and her friends joke around for a bit. I'm not really listening, but I am debating whether or not I should ask them to join us. 

I guess Reyna has the same idea. "Why don't you guys join us?" she speaks up. 

Piper seems delighted that she asks, and I curse myself for not asking. Percy and Leo pull over a table and  two extra chairs beside ours. Piper takes the seat beside Reyna, and Leo sits next to me. Annabeth and Percy sit at the new table. I feel less out of place now that they're sitting down and aren't talking as much. God, I wish I knew people before I came here. 

Leo leans over to me as Reyna and Piper begin to talk. "Dude, were you on a date?" 

I choke on my coffee, surprised by his question. I never thought of this looking like a date. My eyes widen- Reyna hardly thought I asked her for coffee as a date. I shake my head quickly. I'm a complete moron. "No, I wasn't," I whisper. "She's letting me borrow her notes so I thought I'd be nice."

Leo holds up his hands. "Whatever, dude. Either way, ni-ice." He winks at me and I feel my cheeks burning.

I look over at Piper. Oh, god. Please don't let her think I was on some sort of date thing with Reyna. I mean, sure, Reyna is beautiful, but I'm not interested in dating her. I slump in my chair feeling lousy. Piper must feel my gaze on her as she looks over at me. She smiles, and I feel my stomach explode with butterflies. I'd be an idiot to think Piper could ever be interested in someone like me- she's flawless, while I'm just me. 

I purse my lips. I'm going to just go for it. There's no point over thinking this. I'm just going to ask Piper out on a date and see what she says. I mean, the worst that could happen is she says no. Hopefully  _that_ doesn't happen. 

We begin talking as a group, and I begin to feel more relaxed as time passes. Although the others have clearly known each other for awhile, they have no trouble in making Reyna and I feel as though we've always been friends with them. Part of me  hopes that hanging with these guys isn't just a short term thing- I'd love to be friends with them. Plus, Piper and Leo already feel like friends to me. Leo's hung at my place a few times during the week, only leaving when Nico is around. I feel bad that he does that, but Nico isn't exactly the most welcoming person. 

I've been to Leo's once, when his roommate wasn't there. Leo doesn't exactly like his roommate, and suggests that we should ask can we live together instead. Despite liking Leo, I'm not sure I want to do that. Part of me is too invested in becoming Nico's friend. 

After awhile, Piper stands up. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm parched. Drinks are on me." She flashes everyone a smile.

The others have no trouble telling her what drinks they'd like for her to buy them. I frown- surely they're not allowing her to buy them  _all_ drinks. I shake my head when no one makes a move to pay her. I'm a little shocked, to be quite honest. I love buying for people, but I hate when people buy me things. It makes me feel bad. 

"I'll help you bring the drinks down," I say, seeing the perfect opportunity to ask Piper on a date.

"A true gentleman," Leo teases, nudging me as I stand up. I can feel my neck burning from embarrassment. 

Piper and I walk to the counter together and I wait until after she orders to begin talking to her. I can feel my heart beating heavily in my chest. What if she says no? It's intimidating how beautiful she is. God, this is much harder than I thought. My cheeks are probably bright red at this stage. I rub the back of my neck, wondering how to ask her. I don't exactly want to be blunt, or make her feel awkward.

I let a sigh escape my lips, and she looks to me. "Everything okay?" she asks.

I nod my head nervously, turning around and leaning up against the counter. I glance down to the others, all having a good time. I've only known Piper a week. A date would be harmless, right? 

I open my mouth to speak, and I'm surprised by how suddenly dry it feels. "I was... just, um, wondering, if maybe you'd like... to,  uh, go out sometime?" 

She grins, and her eyes sparkle. I swear, it's impossible to tell what colour her eyes are- when I saw her last they looked deep brown,  but now they look more green. It's startling. "Are you asking me on a date, Grace?" 

I can't help but smile at her teasing tone. "Trying to, anyway," I admit sheepishly. "Not exactly doing a great job."

She laughs, and I feel my chest lighten, becoming less anxious. "You're doing a better job than you think," she says. "I'd love to go out with you sometime." The Barista places the final cup onto the tray, and I take it so that Piper won't have to, considering she's paying. Again, it strikes me as odd that her friends would allow her to pay for everything- I mean, college students aren't exactly loaded most of the time.

I want to ask her, but it doesn't seem like something someone should ask just after they asked that person on a date. I decide to leave it for another time, if the thought ever occurs to me again.

I wait for Piper to finish paying, so that the two of us can walk back down together.

The door opens, and I pause for a moment, startled by what I see.  _Nico_. And, he's not alone, either. 

"Hey, Hazel," Percy says, lifting a hand to greet the girl Nico had walked in with. "What's up, Nico?" 

I blink, feeling more confused than ever- Nico is actually with someone,  _and_ he knows Percy. Maybe it is just me, then. Maybe Nico really just doesn't want to know me, or even be friends with me. I feel a little bit hurt. I've never done anything that should make Nico not like me, and I'm trying really hard to be his friend. Perhaps I'm trying too hard. Nico's obviously somewhat of a loner. If I just give him time, then maybe he'll start to like me. 

I notice Nico's eyes lighten a little as he greets Percy. I frown. How on earth did they manage to become friends? Nico seems impossible to get to know. 

I place the tray down on the table, gaining Nico's attention. He raises an eyebrow when he looks at me, and then he shocks me. "Hey, Jason," he says.

I stare at him for a second, amazed that he actually greeted me in public. Usually he'd merely nod, or lift an arm, before turning away and leaving me quickly. "Hey, Nico," I finally respond, after a moments silence. 

Satisfied with my reply, Nico grabs two empty chairs for himself and Hazel, and joins our table.

When he locks eyes with me, I realize I've been staring at him, and quickly I sit back down across from Reyna, feeling embarrassed. Leo is praising Reyna for something or other, and Piper is whispering to Annabeth excitedly. She looks back to me, and I smile at her. She quickly goes back to talking to Annabeth in quiet, but fast, whispering. Knowing girls, it's probably about me asking her out. For some reason, girls did that. When a guy asked them out, they went quickly to find a friend and tell them. Hopefully it's good things, anyway.

Hazel, Nico, and Percy are in discussion about something I can't quite hear.

I feel content sitting here, surrounded by these people. Maybe these people will be my close friends in college. I hope so, anyway.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this ????? Did I actually update my lame AU? :0 Yeah sorry for not updating in awhile. As I said, Uni got in the way! :/ Anyway, pleeaasssee leave a review or something! Feedback would be highly appreciated! also a little bit of jasiper... just because I really want this to explore Jason and his sexuality, and coming to terms with his sexuality. SO, yeah!

**Author's Note:**

> ** Sorry for short intro** Please tell me what you think! All feedback will be appreciated! :)


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